National Financial Awareness Day is the perfect time to take stock of your finances. Do you keep a monthly budget? Only 32% of American families do and half of American households live paycheck to paycheck.

Managing finances is one of the most important—and least understood—skills. It may seem daunting, but just like any other skill, it can be learned if you put in the work. Financial literacy is more than just knowing how to save money—it's also knowing what to do with it. 

This year, celebrate National Financial Awareness Day by taking the first steps toward financial literacy.

What’s your money story?  

NAIFA member Win Havir, CPCU, CLF, LUTCF, LACP, describes a “money story” as how we conceptualize and relate to money and finances in a new article in California Broker magazine. Havir grew up in East Los Angeles as the child of a Chinese immigrant. When she was a child, her father would often say “We don’t have any money.” This mantra affected her developing inner narrative. “I was embarrassed and didn’t understand why we stood in line to get huge blocks of orange cheese, powdered milk, and a loaf of white bread,” she says. As she grew older, she realized that this mindset helped her be empathetic and assist others in achieving financial literacy.  

Now, Havir works to promote financial literacy in underserved populations. She emphasizes the importance of serving diverse populations as well as recruiting diverse talent into the insurance and financial services industry.